Apparatus for cleaning pipe lines



Marh 12, 1957 z. 0. 5T. PALLEY 2,784,723

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING PIPE LINES Filed Dec. 5, 1955 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR CLEANING PIPE LINES Zoltan 0. St. Palley, Branford, Conn.

Application December 5, 1955, Serial No. 551,015

2 Claims. (Cl. 134-57) My invention relates to apparatus for washing articles by means of a periodically reversed flow of cleaning fluid, and has particular utility in the cleaning of pipe lines.

One of the important objects of my invention is to pro vide an apparatus which, due to its high washing efliciency and automatic operation, can be used very effectively and economically for the sanitary cleaning of various equipments in the dairy and food processing plants.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which can be conveniently applied to pipe lines of various length and forms due to its portability.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

The present invention is an improvement of U. S. Patent No. 2,690,756, issued on October 5, 1954, and embodies two additional novel features of great utility. By the application of time controlled dual air outlet valves the length of time required for the reversing of the flow of cleaning fluid, which represents an inactive period in the washing operation, has been reduced considerably. Secondly, by imparting an additional, rotary, motion to the flow of cleaning fluid its scrubbing efficiency has been increased materially.

. In the accompanying drawing wherein, for the purpose of illustration, a preferred embodiment of my invention is shown, the figure is a diagrammatic view of my apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the article to be washed which, in this particular case is a pipe line, the ends of which are connected to the outlet pipes 3 and 163, of the tanks 2 and 192, respectively. These tanks are preferably portable and are mounted on wheels. As these two tanks and the associated mechanisms are perfect duplicates in every respect, the description of one will be suflicient for the understanding of the present invention.

The tank 2 is provided with a removable cover 4, adapted for the hermetic closing of the tank. Leading into the upper portion of the tank 2 is the air pipe 5, connected with the following air valves: the check valve 6, which consists of a housing communicating with the air pipe 5, a spring or weight loaded valve mounted in said housing, and so constructed that the valve is normally in the open position, but will be moved into the closed position by the impact of the air fiow from the air pipe 5, when said air flow reaches a predetermined velocity. This check valve 6 is provided with a switch, which closes an electric circuit when said valve is in the closed position. Communicating with said check valve 6 is the air inlet valve 7, controlling the passage of the compressed air from the air supply pipe 10. Connected to the opposite sides of the check valve 6 are the primary outlet valve 8 and the secondary outlet valve 9, controlling the exit of the air from the tank 2. These valves 7, 8, and 9 are each provided with a solenoid and are so constructed that ice they are normally in the closed position and move into the open position when the solenoid is energized. Valve 8 leads to the primary exhaust pipe 11, and valve 9 to the secondary exhaust pipe 12.

The operation of the above solenoid valves is controlled electrically by the following relays: The actuating relay 13, having two single throw and one double throw switches, which will move into the position shown by the dotted lines in the drawing when the solenoid 14 is energized, and will return into the position shown by the full lines, due to spring pressure indicated by the arrow, when the solenoid 14 is deenergized. The main relay 15 has a double throw switch actuated by two solenoids so that it will move into the position shown by the dotted lines when the solenoid 17 is energized, and will remain in the same position after the solenoid 17 is deenergized, until the other solenoid 16 is energized, when the switch will move into the position shown by the full lines, and will remain there after the solenoid 16 is deenergized. The auxiliary relay 18 has a double throw switch actuated by a single solenoid 19 which, when energized, will move the switch into the position shown by the dotted lines. When the solenoid 19 is deenergized the switch is returned by a spring into the position shown by the full lines in the drawing. The direction of the spring pressure is indicated by the arrow.

The fourth relay controlling the operation of the valves is the time delay relay 20 which, in the preferred form of my invention is of the thermal type, comprising the heating element 21 and the switch 22. This switch 22 is normally closed and will open if said heating element 21 is energized for a predetermined length of time, for which the time delay relay is set, and which may be varied by changing the setting of said time delay relay.

Further important control elements are the starting switch 23 and the stopping switch 24; the former is preferably of the push button type and is normally open, the latter is a double throw switch which is moved in the position shown by the dotted lines for the stopping of the washing operation. These switches may be operated manually or by timing mechanism.

In the other tank the corresponding elements are designated by the same numerals plus 100.

The various elements of each tank are connected by electrical circuits in the manner shown in the figure of the drawing, and the circuits of the two tanks are connected together by three lines 25, 26, and 27, of which 25 and 26 are connected to the supply terminals 23 and 29, respectively.

In the preferred form, herein described, the two tanks have identical elements and control circuits, it is, however, within the spirit of my invention to provide the starting switch 23 and the stopping switch 24 in one tank only, in case only one of the tanks is used for the deposition and the draining of the cleaning fluid.

The figure of the drawing illustrates also another important and novel feature of my invention which contributes greatly to the improved washing efiiciency of my apparatus. This feature is the spiral guide 30, and 130, inserted in the outlet pipes 3 and 103, respectively, which impart a rotary motion to the flow of fluid passing through said outlet pipes, and thereby increasing the turbulence and scrubbing effect of the flow. This same feature also helps to decelerate the flow of liquid arriving into the tank.

It is to be understood that the pipe line designated by the numeral 1 in the drawing, is to be taken as an example of the various articles and equipments which can be washed by my apparatus, also, that the form of my invention herein shown and described is only a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape,

size, and arrangement of'parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit'of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

The. operation of my apparatus is astollows;

The cleaning. fluid isdepositedin one of the tanks which, inthepresent case is tank 2, yand' the cover 4 is closed. The starting switch 23 .is closed; As a result of this, a;current will-flow from the conductor 26, through the switch. 23, thenthrough the parallel connected sole? noid 14 and heating coil, 21, and the normally closed time delay relay switch; 22, into the conductor or line 25; thereby. energizing theactuatingrelay 13 andstartingthe timed cycle of, the timedel'ay relay 20. This closing of the starting switch 23. may be only momentary, as the reopening off the starting;switch 23 will leave the sole" uoid14 andtheheating coil21in the energized condition, because theenergized solenoid 14 has moved the contacts of. the relay. 1 3,inthe dotted line position, hence, the contacts next to thesolenoid14 will continue to supply the energizing current: from line 26.

This energizingof the relay 13- willjhave the following consequences: the contacts secondto the solenoid 14, being in the; dotted line-position, will supply current from the line 26, through, the switch 24, to the solenoid 16, causing the relay 15 to assume the full line position, and thereby energizing the solenoid of the air inlet valve 7, opening the passage of the compressed air from the supply pipe 10, through the, open check valve 6, into the tank 2. Simultaneously, the third contact from the solenoid 14, being in the dotted line position, will send a current from line 26 into line 27, and to the third contact of the relay 113, which being in the full line position, will permit the current. to pass to solenoids 117 and 119 of relays 115 and 118, respectively, and finally to line 25. As a result ofthiscurrent, thesolenoids 117' and119 will be energized moving the relays 115 and 118, respectively, into the dotted line position, and thereby permitting a current to passfrom. the line 26, through the contacts of relays 115 and, 117, shown by the dotted lines, to the solenoid ot'the primary outlet valve 108, and from there to the line 25. This energized solenoidj will open the outlet valve 108, with the result, that the compressed air flowing from the supply pipe 10, through the open valves 7 and 6, and air pipe S, into the tank 2., can force the fluid from the tank 2',

through the pipe line 1, into the tank 102, and the air displaced by the fluid can escape through the air pipe 105 and valve 108.

When the time, for which the time delay relay is set, has expired, the switch 22 will open, causing the deenergizing of the. heating coil 21 and the solenoid 14,

thereby permitting the contacts of the relay 13- to be returned, by spring pressure, into the full line position. One of the results of this will be the interruption of the energizing current of the solenoid 116 which, however, will not change the position of the relay 15, this relay having no spring action. Hence, the inlet valve 7 will continue to be open and the transfer of the fluid from the tank 2 into the tank 2;will not be affected by the action of the time delay relay 20. The second result of the deenergization of the solenoid 14 will be that the relay 13, now being in the full line position, will interrupt the current flowing through the line 27, and thus will deenergize the solenoids 11.7'and'119; With the-solenoid 117 deenergized, the relay 115 remains in the dotted line position, having no spring action. The relay 118, however, will be moved by spring action into the full line position when the solenoid 119 is deenergized, transferring the energizing current from the primary outlet valve 108 to the secondary outlet valve 109.

As a result of this transfer of the energizing current the valve 108will close and the valve 109 will open, causing the air displaced from the tank 102 by the incoming fluid to flow through the check valve 106 and escape through the secondary outlet valve. 109. This check valve 106, being; spring or weight loaded (in the direction of the arrow) is so. adjusted thatthe normalflow of the air tram 4 the tank 102 cannot lift the check valve upwardly and close the: air passagei When, however,- theatransfcr ofy the fluid from the tank 2 into the tank 102 is completed, the compressed air, following the flow of fluid into the bottom opening of the tank 102, will break through the fluid column contained in the tank 102, and will escape at a high Velocity through the valves 106 and 109. This violent flow of air, and the fluid particles carried by the air, will have suflicient. impact, to lift, the check valve 106 and thus close the passage of'the escaping air.

The closing of the checkvalve 106.will etfect the re versing of the flow of the cleaning fluid in the following manner.

The check valve; 106 is providedwith aswitch, which is connected parallel with the starting switch 123 and has the same function as the starting switch 23, already described, and which can be summarized as follows. The switch of the closedcheck valve 106 will close an electric circuit leading from the line 26 to the parallel connected time delay relay 120 and solenoid 114, and through the switch 122 to the line 25. This current will energize the; time delay relay heating coil 1 21 and will move the contacts of the relay 113 into the dotted line position. In this position of the relay 113 the second contacts from the solenoid 114 will pass a current from the line 26, through the switch 124, to the solenoid 116, causing the relay 115 to move into the full'line position, andthereby closing the secondary outlet valve 109 and opening the inlet valve 107, as a result of which, the compressed air will flow from the supply pipe 110 and through the valves. 107, 106, and theair pipe 105, into the tank 102. Simul taneously, the third contacts of the relay 113, beingin the dotted line positiomwill send a current from theline 26, through the line 27 and the relay 13, into the solenoids 17' and 19, causing the relays 15 and 18, respectively, to move into the dotted line position. As aresult ofthis, the primary outlet valve 8 will open, relieving the airpressure in the tank 2 and the pipe line 1. With the backpressure relieved, the compressed air, flowing from the supply pipe 110, through the open valve 107, after having forced open the check valve 106, will enter the tank 102, through the air pipe 105, and will force the fluid from the tank 102, through the pipe line 1, into the tank 2. During this transfer of the fluid, after the time, for which the time delay relay is set, the relay 113 will be deenergized and moved, by spring action, into thefull line position, thereby interrupting the current in the line 27 and deenergizing the solenoids 19- and 17; as a result of which, the primary outlet valve will close and the secondary outlet valve 9 will open; after which move, the air displaced by the flow offluid coming into the tank 2 will escape through the valves 6 and 9. At this phase of the fluid transfer the impact of the escaping air-is too small to close the check valve 6, but when the transfer is completed, the air, breaking through the column Off fluid in the tank 2, will produce an air How in the check valve 6 which, due to its high velocity and due to. the fluid particles carried by the air, will have sufiicient impact to close the check valve 6 and the connected switch. The closing of the switch of the check valve 6 will repeat the transfer of the fluid from the tank 2 into the tank 102 in the manner already described.

In case the closing of the switch of the check valve, 6' finds the stopping switch 24 in the dotted line position,

the moving of the relay 1 3 into the dotted line position will cause the flowing of a current from the line 26; through the dotted line contact of the. switch 24, to the solenoid of the primary outlet valve 8, instead of energizing the solenoid 16. Thus the reversal of the fluid trans for will not take place, as the inlet valve 7 will not open. Similarly the moving of the switch 124 into the dotted line position will prevent the reversal of the flow of fluid after its arrival into the tank 102.

The novel concept underlying the present invention is e app i a on of m on rol ed d a u e va sa primary outlet valve bypassing the check valve, and a secondary outlet valve in series with the check valve. This arrangement has the following important advantages. At the end of each transfer cycle of the cleaning fluid there is a time interval before the reverse fiow starts, which represents a lost time from the standpoint of the Washing efficiency. The principal cause of this time loss is that a reverse flow cannot take place before the air pressure, set up by the previous transfer, in the new empty tank and pipe line is relieved. In the customary arrangement with only one outlet valve, this relief of pressure must be slow because otherwise the escaping air, flowing through the check valve will have sufficient impact to close the check valve. In the present invention this relief can be very fast because in this stage the air escapes through the primary outlet valve, bypassing the check valve. This results in a better time efi'iciency. The same reason also permits the use of a more sensitive check valve which acts with less time delay and without loss of fluid.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for cleaning a pipe line, comprising: a pair of closed tanks for holding the cleaning fluid, with outlet pipes connected to opposite ends of the pipe line; a compressed air supply; a pair of air inlet valves, having open and closed posit-ions, each of said valves communicating with said air supply and with one of said tanks to admit compressed air, alternately, to one of the tanks in order to force the cleaning fluid, through the pipe line, into the other tank; a pair of primary outlet valves, having open and closed positions, each communicating with one of said tanks for the exhaust of air; a pair of secondary outlet valves, having open and closed positions, each communicating with one of said tanks for the exhaust of air; a pair of check valves, having open and closed positions, each connected in series with one of said secondary outlet valves, and being so adapted that the impact of the exhaust air flowing from the commu= nicating tank will close the check valve when said air reaches a predetermined velocity; a pair of time delay relay means, each operatively connected to the primary and secondary outlet valves of one of the tanks, and being adapted to eficct the closing of said primary outlet valve after predetermined time from its opening, and simultaneously to eifect the opening of said secondary outlet valve connected to the same tank; pilot circuit means, interconnecting said valves and relay means, and being so adapted that the moving of said check valve into the closed position will have the following efiect: the reversing of the positions of said pair of inlet valves, the closing of the secondary outlet valve connected with said check valve, the opening of the primary outlet valve or" the other tank, and the energizing of the time delay relay means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said pilot circuit means comprises a pair of switches each operable by one of said check valves; solenoids operatively connected to said inlet and outlet valves so as to change the position of the connected valves when said solenoids are energized; a pair of switches, each operatively connected to one of said time delay relay means so as to change its position after a predetermined time of energization of said relay means; an electrical circuit means inter-connecting said switches, solenoids and relay means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,951,252 Michaelsen Mar. 13, 1934 2,176,845 Temple Oct. 17, 1939 2,562,772 Clark July 31, 1951 2,621,666 Ornas Dec. 16, 1952 2,690,756 St. Palley Oct. 5, 1954 

